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Purpose of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium

• To develop a comprehensive and innovative assessment system* for grades 3-8 and high school in English language arts and mathematics aligned to the Common Core State Standards, so that . . .

• . . . students leave high school prepared for postsecondary success in college or a career through increased student learning and improved teaching.

* To be operational across Consortium states in the 2014-15 school year

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Why Define College-Readiness Expectations?

• “General” high school track is “Ticket to Nowhere”*

• Overall cost of remediation in the US estimated at over $3.7 billion annually– Cost of “double teaching” at community colleges plus

reduced potential income of college dropouts (WV ― $3.8m)

• Student pipeline transition and completion rates* from ninth grade to college (150% of program time):– US average: 20.5 percent– West Virginia: 16.6

*Sources: Haycock (1999); Alliance for Excellent Education (August, 2006); NCHEMS Information Center data (2008): http://www.higheredinfo.org/dbrowser/index.php?submeasure=119&year=2008&level=nation&mode=graph&state=0

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Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

• Preceded by American Diploma Project (piloted 2001-2003)

• Initiated by National Governors Association and Council on Chief State School Officers initiative (2009-2010)

• Provide benchmarks for all students in English language arts and mathematics

• To date, adopted by 45 states and 3 territories• Require new assessment system• West Virginia customized CCSS>>>Next Generation

Standards

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Common Core State Standards• Define knowledge

and skills students need for college and skilled employment

• Provide clear, consistent standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics

• Were developed by states with input from K-12 teacher and college faculty – adopted by 45 states and 3 territories

Source: www.corestandards.org

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Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium• 25 states

representing 40% of K-12 students

• 21 governing, advisory states

• Washington state is fiscal agent

• WestEd provides project management services

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Smarter Balanced Assessments• Online administration, with timely results• Computer-adaptive technology• Variety of question types: selected response,

short constructed response, extended constructed response, technology enhanced, and performance

• Formative, interim, and summative assessments, for more responsive teaching and better advising

• Impact on teaching and learning• Common, comparable scores across member

states and across consortiaSource: Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 68 / Friday, April 9, 2010, pp. 18,171-85

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Higher Education Collaboration

• Involved 175 public and 13 private systems/institutions of higher education in application

• Two higher education representatives on the Executive Committee

• Higher education lead in each state and higher education faculty participating in work groups

• Goal: The high school assessment qualifies students for entry-level, credit-bearing coursework in college or university

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Smarter Balanced Goals for Higher Education

• Colleges and universities recognize the Smarter Balanced Grade 11 assessment as a valid measure of college content-readiness as defined by the Common Core State Standards.

• Colleges and universities agree on a common performance standard in English language arts/literacy and mathematics for college content-readiness.

• Colleges and universities use the Smarter Balanced assessment as evidence that students are ready for credit-bearing course work and can be exempted from remediation.

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Reaching the Goal with Higher Education Partnership

What IS Asked of Higher Education

• Lead role in standard-setting for 11th-grade assessment

• Agreement on performance standards for placement in the most common credit-bearing entry-level courses:

• College Algebra• Freshman Composition

• Participation in assessment design

What is NOT Asked of Higher Education

• Use of Smarter Balanced assessment for admission

• Standardization of postsecondary admissions standards

• Complete reliance on the Smarter Balanced assessment for placement decisions

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Benefits to Higher Education

• Better-prepared entering students, who know what is required of them

• Less need for remediation

• Better use of effort, time, and resources

• Improved postsecondary persistence and completion

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Challenges for Higher Education• Attitudes/Views: “College isn’t for everyone.” / “College

isn’t professional or skilled ‘training.’” • Structural issues:

– K-12 and higher education are separate systems, separately funded, separately governed

– Not part of faculty reward system—additional responsibility for those already overworked and underpaid

• Institutional and faculty governance– Lowering of standards?– Intrusion into faculty prerogative– Too “one-size-fits-all” for intellectual or pedagogical good

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Timeline for Higher EducationSept. 2012 State Higher Education Implementation Plans Completed

March 2013College Content- Readiness Policy and Preliminary Achievement Level Descriptors Approved* October: Higher Education faculty and K-12 teachers and content experts create first draft.

* November - January: Draft available for review/comment* December: Regional Leadership Meetings* March: State Consensus Vote

Spring 2014 Full-Scale Field TestingSummer 2014 Standard-Setting2014-15 First Year of Operational Testing

Fall 2016First students entering higher education with Smarter Balanced scores

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Sample Items and Performance Tasks

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Foundation for Item and Task DevelopmentItems and Performance

Tasks

Smarter Balanced Item and Task Specifications

Smarter Balanced Content Specifications

Common Core State Standards

Source: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/CCSS-for-ELA-Literacy-Presentation.pdf

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A Balanced Assessment System

Common Core

Standards specify K-12 expectations

for college and career readiness

All students leave high

school college and

career ready

Teachers and schools have

information and tools they need to improve teaching

and learning

Summative assessments

Benchmarked to college and career

readiness

Interim assessments Flexible, open, used

for actionable feedback

Teacher resources for formative assessment practices to improve

instruction

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Summative Assessment: Purpose, Benefits and Limitations

Purpose• Accountability for K-12 at the state, district, school and classroom/teacher level•Accurate information about individual students’ achievement, growth over time, and (in 11th grade) readiness for college in English and math.

Limitations•Summative exams are not diagnostic in nature.•Will not measure readiness for advanced mathematics (Calculus) requiring 12th grade instruction.

Benefits•Far more sophisticated and comprehensive measure of student knowledge and skills than most existing K-12 accountability or placement exams.•Linked to known, high-quality content standards (Common Core).•Early warning for students not yet college ready.

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ELA/Literacy: CCSS Implications for Assessment

FROM: TO:Focusing only on reading skills

Focusing on complexity of what students can read too

Focusing on complexity of what students can read too

Students taking time to read and reread, study, and ponder

Assessing literary terminology Assessing literary terminology

Assessing literary terminology

Assessing through range of items that require students to draw evidence from text; use CR items to require a variety of complex performances

Assessing through range of items that require students to draw evidence from text; use CR items to require a variety of complex performances

Focusing on text-based writing prompts (arguments and informative essays)

Measuring ELA only Measuring literacy across disciplines

Source: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/CCSS-for-ELA-Literacy-Presentation.pdf

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The Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Claims• Claim 1: Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts. Reading, literary and informational text.

• Claim 2: Students can produce effective and well grounded writing for a range of purpose and audiences.

• Claim 3: Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences.

• Claim 4: Students can engage in research/inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information.

Source: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/item-writing-and-review/

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Item Development and Commitment to the CCSS

• Texts worth reading • Questions worth answering • Text dependent questions • A range of thinking • Real 21st century contexts • Untimed • Contextualized writing with requirement to use information from multiple texts. • A range of domains

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The Smarter Balanced Mathematic Claims• Claim 1: Students can explain and apply mathematical concepts and interpret and carry out mathematical procedures with precision and fluency.

• Claim 2: Students can frame and solve a range of complex problems in pure and applied mathematics, making productive use of knowledge and problem solving strategies.

• Claim 3: Students can clearly and precisely construct viable arguments to support their own reasoning and to critique the reasoning of others.

• Claim 4: Students can analyze complex, real-world scenarios and can construct and use mathematical models to interpret and solve problems.

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Next Generation Standards ProgressionK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 HS

Counting & Cardinality

Number and Operations in Base Ten Ratios and Proportional Relationships

Number & Quantity

Number and Operations – Fractions The Number System

Operations and Algebraic Thinking

Expressions and Equations Algebra

Functions Functions

Geometry Geometry

Measurement and Data Statistics and Probability Statistics & Probability

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WV HS Math Curriculum (Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II)

• Math I• Partnerships between quantities• Linear and exponential relationship• Reasoning with equations• Descriptive statistics• Congruence, proof and construction• Connecting algebra and geometry

through coordinates

• Math II• Extending number system• Quadratic function & equations• Expressions and equations• Probability• Proof and trig.• Circles

• Math III• Inferences and

conclusions• Polynomial, rational,

and radical• Trig functions• Modeling with

functions

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College Content-Readiness Definition and

Policy Framework (DRAFT)

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College Content-Readiness Definition

English Language Arts/Literacy

Students who perform at the College Content-Ready level in English language arts/literacy demonstrate subject-area knowledge Students who perform at the College Content-Ready level in English language arts/literacy demonstrate subject-area knowledge and skills associated with readiness for entry-level, transferable, credit-bearing English and composition courses. These students also demonstrate reading, writing, listening, and research skills necessary for introductory courses in a variety of disciplines.

Mathematics

Students who perform at the College Content-Ready level in mathematics demonstrate subject-area knowledge and skills associated with readiness for entry-level, transferable, credit-bearing mathematics or statistics courses. These students also demonstrate quantitative reasoning skills necessary for introductory courses in a variety of disciplines.

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Policy Framework for Grade 11 Achievement Levels

Level Policy ALD College Content Readiness Implications for Grade 12 and College Placement

4 Demonstrates deep command of the knowledge and skills associated with college and career readiness.

Student is exempt from developmental course work.

States/districts/colleges may offer advanced courses (such as AP, IB, or dual enrollment) for these students. Colleges may evaluate additional data (courses completed, grades, placement test scores, etc.) to determine student placement in advanced courses beyond an initial entry-level course.

3 Demonstrates sufficient command of the knowledge and skills associated with college and career readiness.

Student is exempt from developmental course work, contingent on evidence of continued learning in Grade 12.

Within each state, higher education and K–12 officials determine appropriate evidence of continued learning (such as test scores or course grades). Colleges may evaluate additional data (courses completed, grades, placement test scores, etc.) to determine student placement in advanced courses beyond an initial entry-level course.

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Policy Framework for Grade 11 Achievement Levels cont.

2 Demonstrates partial command of the knowledge and skills associated with college and career readiness.

Student needs support to meet college readiness standard.

States/districts/colleges may implement Grade 12 transition courses or other programs for these students. States also may choose to retest these students near the conclusion of Grade 12. Colleges may evaluate additional data (courses completed, grades, placement test scores, etc.) to determine placement in developmental or credit-bearing courses.

1 Demonstrates minimal command of the knowledge and skills associated with college and career readiness.

Student needs substantial support to meet college readiness standard.

States/districts/colleges may offer supplemental programs for these students. States also may choose to retest these students near the conclusion of Grade 12. Colleges may evaluate additional data (courses completed, grades, placement test scores, etc.) to determine placement in developmental or credit-bearing courses.

Level Policy ALD College Content Readiness Implications for Grade 12 and College Placement